lexguynj

Just last week I got a fairly new 2002 ES300 loaner car while dropping off my car for service. You have probably read many reviews from other members on here, but this is the first time I ever drove in one:

Here are my impressions as I drove this newly designed ES300.

1. I wanted more horsepower when the new version came out. I wanted at least an increase in HP from the previous generation. We didn't get it, so I moved on. HOWEVER, I did find that the power was sufficient and had some pep to it in this new ES300.

2. The interior (NO Nav in this one) is always Lexus beautiful and even the Premium Sound Systems sounds good. The interior had a decent amount of cabin space and didn't feel cramped like in some of its counterparts.

3. With the stock 16" tires, I realized how much I missed the consistent steering and more solid feel in the steering wheel when cruising. I have the higher profile 17" Wheels with Summer Tires on my GS and am just getting tired of the vibrations and trammeling. The ES300 was smooth, silky smooth as they say.

4. Exterior - Like all things new, it takes some time getting used to. It looks very nice and it is a sleek looking car, but what else can I say about it? It's just there, it is not unique, there is little personality to it. I'm sorry to say it's bland.

It's a car that doesn't want to draw attention, a car that wants to just do it's job very well each and every day (and it does) and then just go home at the end of the day. If this is what Lexus had in mind when making this car, then they did a great job! That is why this car is geared towards a certain older segment of drivers which is not a bad thing at all. That is also why we have the IS & GS for the other enthusiasts.

Overall it's a good car with great service and reliability. That in itself is probably great for most people as long as they are happy.

LexFather

Nice write-up, they are selling 7k a month, so it is doing great!

kreativ

With the second to last paragraph, I thought I was reading a C&D or R&T article.

Yah, I was disappointed they didn't bump up the power in the '02 too. But it was adequate for my needs.
An ES with a more powerful engine will probably be out by the '04 model year. But by then, all my interest will have turned to the all new GS coming out in '04! I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the new GS.

lexguynj

I should be writing for Car & Driver!

The ES300 power is more than adequate for everyone's needs. It's just you want to compare it to the competition which is higher. And the ES300 sales like 1SICKLEX said are up, so that means everyone knows it's a great car. Enjoy it fully.

jaisonline

i'm still waiting for lexus to issue a tsb about the transmission 2-3 secs delay when pressing the gas pdeal all the way down. not all cars have this but many do.

see my post of the transmission section of this forum for more details.

WILB3

Interesting....

lexguynj

Very interesting indeed. Is it interesting because they gave a fairly new car as a loaner? I think a lot of dealers do this now, since the ES is probably their most available car. I noticed I get either an ES or a RX as a loaner when I have my car serviced.

kreativ

Yup, the majority of Lexus loaners are ES and RX, with an increasing # of '02 ES in the loaner fleet.

I drove a loaner '02 ES with just a few hundred miles on it. The Lexus employees also use them to go out for lunch, run errands, drive customers places, etc.